Over the past year, I have become more and more appreciative of the time I get to spend with my Jewish friends. Whether it is at a BBYO event, casual hangout, camp, or anywhere else, I have learned the importance of getting to see and connect with other Jews. During winter break, I had the opportunity to see one of my best Jewish friends, and I would not trade this time away for anything.

My friend Taylor arrived on December 30th, just in time for New Years. Although New Years Eve was the holiday we intended on celebrating together, we were also lucky enough to join with the rest of my family and light the menorah each night. Because Taylor is a camp friend from a different city and the timing of Hanukkah varies each year, seeing her for Hanukkah was a very rare occurrence. As we began reciting the prayers as we lit the menorah, I realized how connected Jews from all over the world are. Although we live in different cities, we still knew the exact same prayers and tunes for lighting the menorah. After realizing this, I began scrolling through social media, seeing many families from all over the world reciting the same prayers as well. For me, this solidified that no matter where Jews are, we are always connected to one another through the power of Judaism.

After lighting the menorah, Taylor and I continued to have a great weekend together. We saw many of our camp friends and reconnected after time apart. Although I live close to many of them, we do not always have the chance to see each other with our busy schedules. Seeing all my friends over break was the perfect reminder of the importance of keeping Jewish friends close and making time to see them. 

As the weekend quickly finished and I said goodbye to Taylor, I knew that I would see her soon again. Her visit was the true definition of Jews coming together. We met at Jewish summer camp and have been making trips to see each other since. I am so grateful that I was able to celebrate an important Jewish holiday with one of my closest Jewish friends, and I can’t wait to celebrate more holidays together in the future.